The Matching
by fucktasticorn
Summary: "And so it was decreed that once turned 18, everyone would be paired with their most compatible match." A Panem where everything isn't what it seems to be, and there is a backstory to everyone.
1. Prologue

**Hello! So I made a thing, I kind of deleted my other fics because I had totally lost all type of inspiration for them. Anyways i started a new one and trust me, i WILL finish this one i feel like it will be a good one. Much inspiration for this one. I hope y'all like it :)**

 **Disclaimer: I Don't own THG**

 _Prologue:_

Long ago, war reigned the land of Panem, chaos and destruction ruled all over, and no one was safe. An underdog, with the name of Coriolanus Snow slowly rose to power, and him and his armies began to take over Panem and brought the chaos to an end. He had hoped that now, that everything was calm and nobody was at war, he could finally conquer sweet Lilian's heart, a huntress and a healer that was as beautiful as she was strong and could silence every bird every time she sang. He hoped to marry her and make her his queen. Lilian, however did not return his feelings for she was in love with a man who was sweet and kind as well as knowledgable about plants and the wilderness. They had met each other one day in the forest and fell in love with each other. This made Coriolanus Snow feel bitter and angry. The day he found out that Lilian had married and was now expecting a child, he angrily ordered his army to build fences around every district and forbade going outside the fence. This made Lilian sad, but she vowed that her son will know everything there is to know about outside of the fence. She would go into the woods every Sunday and gather plants to run her small shop.

As the years went by, Snow made laws that dictated every aspect of the citizens of Panem's life. When Lilian's son, Hunter Everdeen, was only 2 a new law was made. It decreed that once one turned 18, their name was to be placed in a system, which paired every girl and guy with their most compatible match. This was to happen once a year in a Matching Ceremony this was made to ensure a prosperous future for Panem. Each match will be expected to have at least 2 children and if you fail to do so, you will be whipped publicly if not killed. Any current marriages will also be expected to have at least two children.

Lilian and her husband, of course, refused to give in to these absurd new laws, and so as the years went by, Hunter was an only child. Things began to be difficult for the Everdeens; nobody wanted to do business with them for fear of being associated with treason. Everyone knew Snow always kept a close eye on Lilian Everdeen and her family. So one day, when Hunter Everdeen was 4 years old, it happened. His father came home carried by men from the mines. He was heavily injured and needed attention fast. Days went by and he seemed to get worse; Lilian of course, was strong, she worked hard getting herbs and trying to heal him as best she could, but one Sunday morning Hunter's father was no more. He woke up to his mother's sobs pleading and hugging his father to stay with her the way he had promised he always would. Hunter, being four, did not yet understand the gravity of this. He didn't understand that his mother was supposed to have had another child or else she would be killed. That night, Posey Gardner, their neighbor and friend came over to comfort Lilian. Posey had four children already, she had met her quota. Lilian confided in her that she did not know what to do, she was going to get killed if the peacekeepers found out she did not have a second child. It was not the fear of death that struck her, it was the fear of what would happen to Hunter, her last piece of her beloved late husband. He would be taken to a community home since they had now family left; this is what kept her up at night. Posey thought about it, she then told Lilian, "You know, Lilian, I have four children already. And you know the mines do not pay very well, it is difficult to support four children but we make it happen. The thing is though, I am pregnant again. What if, what if you make this child yours?" she rubbed her stomach slightly and Lilian stared at her with her bright blue eyes. "Wh-What?"

"I will give you this chid, this will be my fifth, Lilian, my husband and I both know we cannot keep it. This way, you will be able to stay with Hunter."

The rest of the night, both women made a plan on how they were going to do it.

After her husband's death, poor Lilian Everdeen was struck with grief, her neighbor Posey stayed with her through it all. She took care of her and helped her with Hunter, she needed the help especially since she was withchild and her husband was dead. After her daughter, Hazelle was born, she slowly began to come out of her grief. You would see her sneak out the fence with 6 year old Hunter and baby Hazelle. The only people who ever knew the truth were Posey, her husband, Lilian, and Sae, the woman who helped deliver Hazelle.

The years went by and Hunter and Hazelle grew up as siblings. Lilian taught them both about the forest, the plants and their healing abilities and how to hunt. She always told them, "If you want to kill animals, you must learn to heal them as well." She taught them the herbs she knew, their healing properties and their edible parts. Both Hazelle and Hunter were experts.

Lilian watched her children grow. Even though Hazelle was not really her daughter, her spirit reminded her of her husband. She was sad that her children were forced to live in a world like this. Where the government controlled everything, even love. She decided that she would do anything possible to change it surely Snow couldn't believe his laws wouldn't cause anger in the districts.

More years passed and it was Hunter's 18th birthday. This meant he was to participate in this year's Matching Ceremony. Lilian was not oblivious to the longing looks the daughter of the merchant's healer gave her son, and the songs he sang for her in return. She doubted however, that they would be paired together. He was not considered merchant. She would most likely be paired with a blond haired merchant, perhaps the baker's son, she thought. This once again made her sad, she was sad that her son would not get to be with his love like she was able to. However, the morning of the matching ceremony, she received a bouquet of white roses, they were beautiful in the most unnatural way, and she knew there was only one place where they could possibly grow flowers like this.

His son was matched with the healer's daughter that day. The merchants were shocked, the miners were awed, but Lilian knew. She knew he was still watching her and that it wasn't good.

She let them be happy though. The were assigned a house a few houses down from hers. Hazelle was excited for his brother, and she thought that perhaps she too would get paired with someone she loved at her ceremony.

Lilian got to work, she devised a plan that she was sure wouldn't fail. She would take her loved ones and get out. She knew where to go she had heard of a place from her grandfather. From the times when there was fairness, a land before all the chaos began. The night it was supposed to happen however, she died.

Her family buried her under a willow that grew close to the fence, its branches went over it, like Lilian, it could not be contained.

Hazelle then lived with Hunter and his wife, Katherine, until her own matching ceremony. She was matched with Dan Hawthorne and assigned to the house next to her brother's. Dan was a handsome man who was most likely to become a miner, she barely knew him but it wasn't long before she was pregnant with their first child.

Hunter knew how his mother felt about the laws and the government the were forced to obey, so in a way of remembering his mother, he delayed having his first child for a few years. When everyone his age already had their two children for their quota, he finally had his first. He named her Katniss, after the very first plant his mother taught him. His mother loved katniss roots. He would always find them and take them to her and they would always have a feast with them. He missed his mother and even though years had passed, he still couldn't understand how she had died.

 **How'd you guys like that! Leave comments and stuff. i Want to get a beta because i feel like i make grammar mistakes too much and i don't know about you guys but for me there is nothing more triggering than trying to read something with a good ass story plot but the grammar sucks ass. Anyway can someone message me about that maybe? idk thanks for reading though!**


	2. Chapter 1

**This chapter is slightly shorter than the prologue but hey i mean at least the story is progressing lol promise more is to come in the next few days ok**

 **Disclaimer: I donut own THG**

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It began with the explosion. Her nightmare always begins with the explosion, the same one that took her father when she was only 12 years old. Her mother, paralyzed with grief, and she, forced to provide for her family. She was at least grateful that her mother and father at least were done with their quota-her and Prim, her sister, otherwise they would have killed her mother. Her mother was basically dead to the world anyway but at least her and Prim weren't in a community home. She still stored some resentment for her mother, abandoning her and Prim to fend off for themselves. She tried to keep it a secret but her aunt Hazelle knew something was wrong. If it weren't for her then she was pretty sure Prim and her would have starved to death.

She gets out of bed knowing that she will not be able to go back to sleep after her nightmare, she never can. She gets dressed and sits at the table sipping mint tea. It's a little too early from the usual time her and her cousin, Gale, go to the woods. They hunt and gather there and that is how they help provide for their families. Her father had taught her to shoot a bow and arrow and gather plants, and Gale was taught by his mother, Hazelle. She had lost her husband, my uncle Dan, in the same explosion that I had lost my father in. So not only did she lose a husband, but she also lost her brother. It's one of the reasons why Katniss admires her so much. Her mother fell apart after losing her father, but Hazelle knew she had responsibilities and did not let her grief get in her way.

She grabbed her coat and headed out into the woods, she figured it was still early, but she had nothing else to do, it wasn't like she could get any more sleep anyway. She slips under the fence, and heads towards the trees. She gathers a few berries and is reminded of the events of last week, when she left strawberries on Peeta Mellark's window, and she cannot help but wonder if it will happen again this year, if he will leave her her bread. Before her father died, every year, he would find enough to trade for a fresh loaf of nutty bread, Katniss' favorite, and that is what they always had for her birthday. When he died, they didn't really have the money to spend on things other than the necessities. She had written off the bread for her thirteenth birthday. That night it was just like any other night, she tucked Prim in, then left to preserve the rest of her game that she didn't trade. Suddenly there was a knock on the door, which Katniss thought was odd. Usually, if it is Hazelle, she just walks in. She stopped what she was doing and headed towards the door. She only caught a glimpse of blonde curls, but when she looked down she gasped. There on her doorstep was a loaf of bread, the same bread her father would always buy her, and beside it, was a note. She opened it and inside was a beautiful sketch of a katniss flower and in neat handwriting it said 'Happy Birthday -P.M'

Katniss smiled at the memory, she hadn't known who P.M was at the time but she was a good at setting up traps and the next year, she caught him. She didn't say anything, but she made it her mission to find out Peeta's birthday, which happened to be a week before hers, on May 1st. She didn't know why but that next year she climbed up the apple tree next to the Mellark bakery, and hoped the window was Peeta's and left him strawberries. Every year since then she takes him strawberries, and he takes her bread they have never really talked about it, or talked at all for that matter, but they do occasionally smile at each other at school. Katniss knows not to get too attached, he will have a wife in two days and she will have a husband. That is the law, she can't change it no matter how much she hates it. Matching Ceremonies take place once a year on May 10th. All of the 18 year olds are supposed to wear their nicest clothes, and go to the Justice Building where they have a ceremony in their honor for becoming of age. They explain the perfect system that is the Matching Ceremony where they evaluate you and choose who you are going to marry and where you are going to live. The couples must provide Panem with at least two children in their life. It is every citizen's duty to do so. Katniss hated it, she wanted to be free and choose who she would like to marry. She had heard horror stories of men behaving horribly to their wives, they would beat them and treat them with no respect. That was Katniss' worst fear. She jumped out of her thoughts when she heard footsteps. Gale. Gale had been her best friend since ever she could remember he was like a big brother, always looking out for her and Prim. He had been matched two years ago with Madge Undersee, a merchant and was assigned to live in the nicer part of town. It was rare for a merchant to be matched with a person from the Seam. Madge was the daughter of the mayor, so he pulled a few strings and got Gale a job with him instead of in the mines, where he was most likely headed to. The mayor is one of the few kind merchants, the ones who do not really care if you are seam or merchant, they are kind to you either way. Katniss liked Madge a lot, they were so similar and they both liked to tease Gale. She hoped she would get matched to a kind man. _Like Peeta,_ she thought, but she knew how foolish this was. He was a merchant and just because it had happened to Gale, well that does not mean it would happen to her as well. But a part of her still hoped, after all it was hope that always kept her going.

After her and Gale hunted and gathered, they went to the Hob and traded their goods; they split what they had left and the money they had earned and went their separate ways, Katniss towards the Seam, and Gale towards Town. Katniss was walking back over to her house, and when she got to the doorstep of her dilapidated house, she looked down to her feet and smiled. Yes, hope is what had always kept her going she thought once again as she scooped up the loaf of bread and went inside.

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 **Yay Peeta and Katniss :)**


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